Taking apart the mold is the fun and scary part. Will it come out or not.

The mold became hot which means the plaster is set and ready to have the box removed.

Then we flipped the mold over exposing the clay I had pressed the moai into.

I got hold and pulled the clay off exposing the moai. I put this clay into a bag and I'll use it again when I make the next mold.

Next I gently used a chisel to remove the moai. I came out easily which meant I had fixed the undercuts just fine.

Some of the sculptor's clay came loose from the hat. No problem I removed it later.

Now I rescued my precious tiki. This was given to me by my dear friend Jan. She traveled to Easter Island and bought this tiki and when Dan and I retired from work she gave it to us as a farewell gift. Now it has been made in resin and will be made in ceramic. Lots of babies from this little Moai.

All of the clay I peeled off will be used the next time I sculpt a tiki. I buffed the little moai and he's back to normal. If I had cast him instead of covering him with clay and adding detail he would have been ruined.

It is very important to completely dry a new mold. This causes it to harden and it will last longer. So first into the great outdoors.

Then I finished it off next to an oil heater I use when I watch TV. Dan likes the house really cold, summer and winter.

Flash forward to now. It takes a month to dry the mold. When it wasn't in front of the heater it was in the garage with a fun blowing on it.

I didn't try to clean the mold because bits of clay will come off as I pour.

Dan pours in the slip slowly while I pound the side with a rubber mallet.

This pounding makes air bubbles come to the surface. I don't want him to blow up in the kiln.

Once the mold is filled it sits for 2 hours to let the moisture be removed from the slip.

Two hours later we pour off what remains of the wet slip.

I put a tray over it so that the inside doesn't dry out. It sits overnight this way.

Next I just tip him out of the mold. You can see how it is solid under his arm and chin.

Now I do some detailing. I carve his chin to match the wooden tiki.

I made the tiki that was molded slightly flares so that it would come out of the mold. Now I must remove clay to make the sides in a 90 degree angle to the back.

Same on the bottom

and the sides.

I made the indentation above the ears.

I carved the backside of the arm.

He is a long way from being finished. I need to cut him away from the background to use for a bowl or leave the back piece and carve it into rocks or tapa and make a wall plaque. Or I could make a bottom and use this as a lid for a box. With clay you have many options until it dries.

He will go into a plastic bag so he'll not dry out and then he has to wait until I start his Wish List project.

hang10tiki thank you for thinking of me today.
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Guess what we aren't at home working on tikis instead we are in Long Beach California at Tiki Marketplace. We have had a wonderful trip. While we were gone it snowed in Sacramento. I think that's for the 3rd time since I was born. We missed it but it did snow in the pass we need to cross tomorrow morning. Wish us luck because the Highway patrol closed it today.

Here's our trip. Only I had the bright idea of starting at the end and working up and I have to stop half way through. When we are back home I'll finish up. So starting in the middle of today...

Sven and Dan hugging while I talked with Sven's wife.

Meeting Tiki Art Shark for the first time. Mahalo Mary for the introduction.

Mahalo Tiki's booth. That's Nelson.

Crazy Al and I.

Tiki Art Shark with Tiki Tony.

Karen I met Hoppy and he's bring you a present from me.

Chippy got caught selling HB Tiki's tikis to Dan.

I cornered Tiki Art Shark a second time and took advantage for another fun photo.

John O, Tiffany, Al and Bullet. So many friends and so little time.

Meeting Tiki Sand for the first time. Such a pleasure.

lunavideogames saying hi.

Holden(Tiki Farm), myself and GROG at the booth for a new mug for Art who owned Don The Beachcomber's.

Buzzy and Christina.

The beautiful wife of SMBacon and himself.

After a hard day of tiki shopping Dan had a trim with a foot and leg massage

THANK YOU, Wendy! Hoppy was thrilled to connect with you and finally meet so many online tiki folks FTF (hello Bullet, Buzzy, & Grog!). He had a fabulous time and is still de-briefing me on everything. It's an event we have wanted to attend for so long--this time his work travel plans to head West finally aligned. I won't see all the new tiki treasures he bought in person for 2 more weeks when he gets back home. We got some wonderful new additions, but we wish could more easily haul back larger statues, etc. Hoppy certainly appreciated all the warm ohana extended to him from you and everyone else. Thanks for the picture! SAFE TRAVELS HOME to you & Dan.

So great seein and hugging you and Dan yesterday!
What a fun day and what a wonderful way to pre-celebrate the Holidays!
and BRAD showed up!
how cool was THAT!?!?!?
_________________www.kinnyruzic.com Art Blogs Wishes Fulfilled!
I'm on Facebook and now Instagram under Ken Ruzic
AW Jeah!

We are home and have already poured more tikis. It was 27 degrees at the top of the grapevine and lightly dusted with snow. Photos of our trip home tomorrow along with Dan's tiki haul. But after I respond to these (thank you so much) messages I'll show you the first half of our tiki trip.

ebtiki thank you Eric. I'm always glad when you make it home too.

VampiressRN than you so much. Our Ohana made a good showing this time. Photos to follow.

hang10tiki could only have been better if you had been there. We played your 78's records recordings on the way home.

mondo-by-the-bay I was so happy to see him and his two friends. One of them bought one of my Geckoma's from a friend who had an extra. Hoppy is very handsome. I bet you miss him being gone. It isn't easy to ship big tikis and that's why Dan wants us to drive to these events. This trip was a huge shopping spree for him. He earns them doing all my chores so I can make tiki art.

After spending a night near Magic Mountain we decided to drive straight to Orange to antique. We haven't been there in years but in the past Dan found tikis. I was looking for little lost tiki who works near the center of town.

Dan found two little drummer boys which are perfect for Christmas.

We also looked in this case but found nothing to buy even though there were good things. Dan had them already.

I went to the center of town and yelled, "little lost tiki where are you"? No reply but I knew I'd find him the next day.

Next we cut over to Newport Beach. We knew that Bamboo Ben and Buzzy had decorated a restaurant there and we had always wanted to see it.

The entry.

This is where we sat for lunch.

The view to the side.

The view to the ocean from our table. We didn't sit closer because the sun was reflecting like a mirror at the time.

Of course Dan liked the view behind him as well!

Even the bathroom was tiki. The tile trim is all little tikis.

Close up.

We made a quick stop at a beach to step on the sand.

Then we went on to Seal Beach to the store with tikis of course.

WooHooWahine and Soccer Tiki put on Tiki Marketplace and it's so much fun packed into a few hours. WE LOVE IT. Thank you both.

I found him. little lost tiki give the best hugs next to Dan. Dan got one too.

Tiki Roots Rocka made so many wonderful ceramic tikis that Dan had a hard time choosing but he found a favorite.

Tiki Hula also came down from my area for the show. So we had Bullet (Kingstiedye), Mike (Tiki Hula) and us all drive down.

HB Tiki is now wearing one of my Bob necklaces. He made so many terrific items that Dan found he couldn't resist a few.

Tiki Al made Mickey Mouse tiki pendants for sale.

I got to meet Dusty Cajon and see my friend Atomic Tiki Punk. We had a long talk about posting on Tiki Central.

We found that there is so much excitement, adrenaline and good cheer going on at Marketplace that you need to go to every booth a dozen times or you will miss something. Right near the end we spotted Skootikis wonderful carving and jumped on it for Dan's collection. We never have the backseats in the PT cruiser just in case we find a large tiki to haul home. We did. Thank you Skootiki for this wonderful addition to our home.

Remember Doug Horne's fabulous mug from Caliente 2013? Well that mug has come to life and waved bye for now.

Time to go check on the molds we poured and to rest and catch up on the TV we missed. Cheers, Wendy